First record of the genus Medaura Stål (Phasmatodea, Phasmatidae, Clitumninae) from China, with description of a new species

Abstract

Background

The stick insect tribe, Medaurini in subfamily Clitumniae, contains 11 genera and 75 known species, with species diversity of this tribe being rich in southeast Asia and China, as is reflected in the Phasmida Species File Online [PSF]. The genus Medaura includes four named species and they are distributed over Bangladesh, Indonesia and India. The discovery of this new species in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture marks the first identification of the genus Medaura in China.

New information

The genus Medaura Stål is reported for the first time from China, based on a new species M. aculeiformis Xie & Qian sp. n. and the identification characteristics of species are described and illustrated in this paper.